Lost Within The Flock
by Chameleon777
Summary: Alternate take to 'Home.' What if Chet had left in a different way and what if the Matthews family members were less understanding about Shawn's presence in their home? What if Shawn decided to take matters into his own hands with the belief that nobody cared about him ever?
1. Cutting Free In Pain

The Mathews household was quiet; it was two a.m., so it was reasonable to expect that all in the house should be safe in their beds, sound asleep and preparing for the new day. However, this was not so.

Shawn was down in the kitchen, sitting at a stool in the raggediest clothes he had with a small duffel bag on the kitchen counter full of his few possessions. He had been a guest in a foreign environment since his father had left and he was tired of being a guest. It was time to return to the roots that he knew.

Swallowing hard, Shawn stood up and grabbed his bag. He walked across the kitchen, quietly opened the back door, and slipped outside. As he slowly closed the door, his side began to hurt intensely.

"No, I can't think about the pain right now," Shawn whispered. "I don't want them finding out."

As he walked out of the backyard, Shawn fought to keep the tears from forming in his eyes; his father had bestowed the parting gift of a beating right before he had taken off and the pain hadn't gone away.

Of course, Shawn thought as he made his way down the street, Chet had been drinking to deal with the depression over Virna's sudden disappearance and he had taken the frustration out on the only other person home at the time. The pain in his stomach was getting worse and his arm was starting to ache.

It was suddenly feeling colder now and he was near a darker part of downtown. Shawn had to fight hard to keep from crying or puking all over the sidewalk; he had been struggling to keep the pain under control for the past two weeks by eating as little as he could and sleeping as much as he was able.

However, that kind of behavior had gotten him labeled by the Mathews family as lazy and ungrateful; the fight at dinner over his unappreciative behavior had been the breaking point. Alan and Amy had insisted that he eat more and do more after school besides homework and sleep and Eric, who always thought that he was helping, had insisted upon it. Cory hadn't even dared to speak against his parents.

Morgan, who was frustrated with the fact that another person was there taking up space, had sided with her parents and Eric; she had then made several remarks about how Shawn should disappear.

_I'm so tired. _Shawn thought as he suddenly stopped in front of a dark alley and gazed down it, only to see that there was a spot beside a large dumpster that looked big enough for him to sleep in. He sighed and slowly walked over to it; after a few minutes of sleep, he would get up and continue walking.

As Shawn knelt down, however, intense pain seared through his abdomen and he promptly threw up on the cold ground. He coughed, wiped his mouth, and lay down on the ground; the cold was soothing.

_I'll just sleep for a little bit and then go to school. _Shawn thought as he sighed and closed his eyes.

* * *

The alarm sounded and Cory Mathews woke up, immediately concerned when he didn't hear any movement or noise in his bedroom. He sat up and was shocked to discover that Shawn's cot was empty and his ratty duffel bag was also gone. There was a folded up piece of paper on top of the empty cot.

Worried that Shawn had gone to do something stupid after the blowup during dinner the night before, Cory quickly got out of bed and hurried over to the cot. He picked up the note and unfolded it.

_Cory,_

_I don't fit in here and I've decided to leave to find my father. Tell your family that I'm sorry._

_Shawn_

Cory frowned and folded the note back up; he couldn't believe that Shawn had run away in the night.

A horrible feeling of guilt suddenly hit him; Shawn hadn't eaten or done a lot of anything except sleep and do homework ever since his father had skipped town and he had not wanted to ever socialize.

Knock-knock-knock.

"Cory, Shawn, time to get up and get ready for school!" Amy's voice suddenly spoke through the door.

Cory's eyes widened and he said nothing as the knock sounded again, "Cory, Shawn, if you two don't get up and downstairs in the next five minutes, I'll send Eric in to wake you," Amy stated more sternly.

"Mom, we're coming," Cory lied in a nervous voice, silently wondering what he was going to do now.

Footsteps moved away from the door and Cory let out a sigh of relief; he had at least five minutes to think of some excuse for Shawn not being in the bedroom all night. The window was closed…

Cory's eyebrow immediately raised as he walked over to the window and opened it; he could climb out the window, down the tree, and go look for Shawn without his parents having to worry about them.

Swallowing hard, Cory climbed out the window and bit his lip; hopefully, Shawn was safe and sound.

* * *

The sudden rain storm last night had flooded his garden, Mr. Feeny observed as he came outside in his pajamas, bathrobe, and slippers to check his garden before he got ready for yet another day of school.

A rustling sound caught his attention and George looked up just in time to see Cory, who was in a pair of sweats, a t-shirt, and socks, jump down on to the picnic table from a tree. Cory sighed and winced.

"Mister Mathews, you cannot possibly go to school like that," Mr. Feeny commented in a firm voice.

Cory cringed and climbed off the picnic table, "I was looking for Shawn," he confessed anxiously.

"Shouldn't Mister Hunter be up in your bedroom getting ready for school?" Mr. Feeny replied.

Swallowing hard, Cory struggled to think of something to say, but before he could think up a plausible alibi for Shawn, the back door opened and closed, "Cory Mathews, what are you doing out in the backyard in your pajamas and socks?" Alan's irate voice filtered outside. "Come inside right now."

Cory turned and saw his father standing there, "I was just saying good morning to Mister Feeny, Dad," he replied in a nervous voice. "I wanted to see if that sudden rain storm wrecked his garden at all."

"Actually, the flowers aren't that bad," Mr. Feeny cut in, suddenly realizing that something was very amiss at the Mathews household and Cory was trying to cover for Shawn. "I was actually just trying to calm my nerves about a visitor I am receiving after school today whom I haven't seen in a while."

Alan looked amused, "Speaking of school, Cory, where's Shawn at?" he asked, gazing at his youngest son with a look of concern on his face. "Didn't your mother tell you and Shawn to come downstairs?"

Cory suddenly looked panicked, "Dad, I can explain," he said in a nervous voice. "Shawn is not here."

"Of course he isn't," Alan replied in an annoyed voice. "Shawn's not outside in his pajamas and socks."

Silently praying that he wouldn't end up in deeper trouble than he was already in, Cory handed Alan the note that Shawn had left upstairs. Alan took the note, unfolded it, and immediately looked concerned.

"Shawn's run away," Alan stated as he skimmed the note. "He says that he had to go find his father."

* * *

Fighting the urge to swear, Sarah pulled her blue Jeep over to the side of the road and quickly shut the engine off; it was the second time that the car had experienced problems since getting into the city

Letting out a sigh, she took the keys out, grabbed her hiking backpack out of the front seat, and got out of the rust bucket that she had used ever since graduating high school. Luckily, her jeans, checkered sweater, oversized trenchcoat, gloves, and knee-high boots would keep her warm in this cold weather.

As Sarah looked around, she tucked a loose strand of her blonde updo out of her face and it was then that something strange caught her eye; something was lying very, very still in a nearby alleyway.

Swallowing hard, Sarah walked into the alleyway and her eyes widened as she neared the thing; it was a young man who looked very pale, unconscious, and soaking wet. Had he spent the night in the alley?

"Young man, can you hear me?" Sarah asked as she dropped her bag on the ground and knelt down next to the unconscious young man, immediately horrified to see that he was barely breathing. "Hello?"

Shawn could vaguely hear someone telling him to get up, but his body was too weak and his brain was too worn out to register anything more than the voice going into his ear. He just wanted to die there.

Sarah sighed, reached into her trenchcoat pocket, and pulled out a cell-phone that she only used when emergency situations arose within her career field. From what she could see, this kid needed help badly.

Her fingers quickly dialed 9-1-1 and while she waited, Sarah quickly removed her trenchcoat and covered the unconscious teen with it. It was the least she could do for him while she waited with him.

"Hello," Sarah said as she finally heard a voice. "I found a young man unconscious in an alley…"

* * *

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	2. Shifting Into Focus

"Matthews, aren't you a little early for school?" Jonathan Turner asked in a surprised voice as he saw Cory come into the classroom and sit quietly at his desk. "Mathews, you look like you're gonna be sick."

Cory nodded and gently placed his backpack on the desk. He was so sad about Shawn running away that he didn't care to engage in any verbal battles with anyone. Cory let out a sigh and rested his head on his backpack, closing his eyes so that he wouldn't have to look at Mr. Turner; he just wanted to be at home.

"Matthews, are you all right?" Jonathan asked, frowning at how listless Cory seemed that morning.

Cory didn't reply; he had wanted to stay home and help his parents look for Shawn, but Alan had made him eat breakfast, get ready for school, and go. The fight last night was still in the memories of both his parents and they were currently angry at Chet. Now, they were angry and wanted to punish Shawn too.

"Cory?" Jonathan asked again as he walked over to the desk. "Matthews, are you all right today?"

Cory lifted his head just as Topanga and Minkus came into the room, "No, I'm not," he replied in a dead voice as he gazed down at his backpack. "Shawn took off in the middle of the night and left a note."

"We should make posters saying that he's missing and offer a reward!" Minkus suddenly piped up.

Anger suddenly filled Cory and without thinking, he shot up from his seat and socked Minkus in the face, sending the smaller boy to the floor, "Shawn is _not_ a dog," Cory hissed, his voice seething with anger.

"All right, Matthews, let's go," Jonathan said, quickly assuming his role as teacher. "Principal's office."

Cory scoffed, "Going to Feeny's office won't find Shawn," he snapped. "I don't really care, ya know?"

For a moment, Jonathan was silent as he tried to figure out what to say, but then Cory turned away and put a hand over his eyes. A sniffle emerged and quiet sobs broke the awkward silence. Topanga sighed.

"There was this huge fight last night at dinner because Shawn wasn't eating a lot," Cory finally spoke in an upset voice as he choked back a sob. "My father thought he was being ungrateful for all that we were doing for him and Shawn got upset. There was some shouting and then Shawn went upstairs to bed."

Jonathan looked annoyed at that, "Nobody thought to make sure Shawn was okay before your family all went to bed for the night?" he asked in a concerned voice. "Maybe Shawn's depressed about his dad."

Cory shrugged and suddenly broke down sobbing, shaking so hard that he was almost ready to collapse.

"Minkus, Lawrence, stay here," Jonathan said in a commanding voice. "Matthews, nurse's office. Now."

This time, Cory said nothing and continued to sob. Jonathan sighed, put a gentle arm around Cory, and led the sobbing teenager from the classroom. Topanga sighed and quickly moved over to Minkus.

"You shouldn't have taunted Cory like that," Topanga said in an annoyed voice as she helped her friend off of the floor. "Cory and Shawn have been close forever and Shawn's missing. It's hard on Cory."

Minkus sniffed, "I suppose I was a bit stupid," he replied. "However, I do think posters might help."

"Minkus, I think we should just be there for Cory," Topanga replied anxiously. "Cory needs support."

Minkus rolled his eyes and walked over to his desk, "I'm going to make posters," he said in an annoyed voice as he took his backpack off. "You can give comfort if you want, but I'll make posters to put up."

"Whatever," Topanga replied in an annoyed voice. "I'm going to be there for Cory while he's sad."

Suddenly not caring about school, Topanga quickly hurried out of the room, leaving Minkus alone.

* * *

"I have a bad headache from crying," Mr. Feeny heard Cory say from inside the open nurse's office.

Mr. Feeny frowned and entered the nurse's office, surprised to see Jonathan talking with the nurse while Cory lay on a cot looking sick to his stomach, "Cory broke down in my class and now he's got a bad headache, George," Jonathan explained in a concerned voice. "I'm thinking of sending him home."

"Cory's father took the morning off work to go down to the police station and Cory's mother and little sister are out looking for Shawn," Mr. Feeny replied. "Mister Matthews is better off resting in here."

Jonathan nodded, "What are we supposed to do about Shawn missing in the meantime?" he asked as he walked over to where Mr. Feeny was standing. "He's out there on the streets without anyone."

"Since it would be pointless to try and contact Chet Hunter about the situation, I will phone my contacts within DCFS to see if they can locate Shawn," Mr. Feeny stated. "It's clear that the situation with the Matthews family isn't working and there's nobody else that seems to want to take Shawn in."

Cory groaned, "Isn't that like social services?" he asked in a pained voice. "Terrible foster homes…"

Before Mr. Feeny could reply, a secretary poked her head into the nurse's office, "Mister Feeny, you have an important call in your office," she said in an anxious voice. "The caller asked for you by name."

"Mister Turner, go back to your class and Mister Matthews, stay here," Mr. Feeny said in a voice that dared anyone to argue with him. "I will come back and check on you after I am off of the phone."

* * *

The police station seemed like such a hopeless place to Alan as he entered and saw many uniformed officers making their way to and from the administration desk. An irritated looking, balding sergeant with more weight than happiness sat behind the desk with a pile of looseleaf papers in front of him.

"Excuse me, I want to file a missing persons report," Alan explained as he approached the desk.

For a moment, the sergeant was silent and then chuckled, "So does everyone else," he replied snottily.

"This friend of mine, Chet Hunter, took off a few weeks ago and left his son in our care," Alan continued, ignoring the rude nature of the desk sergeant. "The young man took off last night and we can't…"

The desk sergeant's eyes widened, "Chet Hunter left town _again_?" he asked in a shocked voice.

"What do you mean again?" Alan asked in a surprised voice. "Are you saying Chet's done this before?"

An amused chuckle escaped from the sergeant's mouth, "We've got quite a little file on Chet Hunter," he explained as he reached under the desk and pulled out an overstuffed folder. "I'm guessing that you and your family are serving as the latest residence for Chet's son, Shawn; the poor, misplaced little kid."

"Until last night, Shawn had been staying at our house for the last two weeks," Alan confessed. "We had a large fight at the dinner table and Shawn ran away in the middle of the night; hence, why I'm here."

It was then that Alan noticed the nametag 'O'Flaherty' on the man's chest, "You let a minor run away in the middle of the night and didn't look for him until this morning?" Sergeant O'Flaherty asked in a voice full of disgust as he glared at Alan. "Chet Hunter is an abusive drunk who beats his son up and flees town after he does it just to avoid any legal responsibility. No wonder Virna Hunter keeps skipping town."

"How am I supposed to find Shawn?" Alan asked, suddenly realizing that the fight had made things worse for Shawn and it was now his and everyone else's responsibility to make amends.

Sergeant O'Flaherty sighed, "Shawn will most likely be found by the police and placed in the custody of the Department of Child and Family Services," he replied in a somber voice. "Check with them."

"What if the police don't find Shawn?" Alan asked in a concerned voice. "It's pretty yucky outside."

There was silence as Sergeant O'Flaherty looked at Alan and Alan knew then that he had better say a prayer.

* * *

Sarah hung up the phone in the hallway and looked into the private Pediatrics room where Shawn now lay asleep in a hospital bed. While Shawn had been operated on, treated, and brought through a near death experience, she had been talking on the phone with police, DCFS colleagues, and her mentor.

At least Shawn was safe; he had bandages under his clean hospital gown, his left arm was in a cast and sling, IV's were covering his bare arms, and he was covered in blankets, but he was free from harm.

As she walked over to the bed and set her bag on the floor, Sarah reached into her pocket and pulled out a small white teddy bear that had angel wings and a halo on it that she had gotten in the gift shop for Shawn while he was in surgery. She gently lifted his right hand and put the bear underneath it.

"What's that?" Shawn mumbled groggily as she set his hand down over it. "Feels sorta soft…"

Sarah sighed, but remained silent as Shawn opened his eyes, "Hello there, stranger," she said gently.

"Did I die and go to heaven?" Shawn asked groggily as he stared at her. "You're a pretty angel."

Sarah smiled, "No, but I did make sure you got brought to the hospital," she replied gently. "Now that you're awake, do you want to tell me who exactly you are and how you're feeling, young man?"

"You first," Shawn replied, suddenly realizing that he physically felt awful. "Why am I in the hospital?"

Sarah quickly grabbed a chair from the nearby wall and pulled it right to Shawn's bedside, "My name is Sarah and I'm with DCFS," she explained in a soft voice. "I was having car trouble this morning and I happened upon you passed out in an alley. I called an ambulance and I've been here all day with you."

"All day?" Shawn asked, his eyes widening as he looked around for his backpack. "I missed school?"

Sarah nodded, "I put your bag under the bed and I haven't opened it," she replied, knowing that this kid would have a fit if she looked through his things. "I need to know who you are since a lot of other people in the system seem to know you just by your description; that is definitely very unusual."

"Shawn," Shawn replied in a groggy voice. "I'm not exactly a stranger to the police or social services."

Seeing that Shawn was very tired and in no shape to have a serious discussion, Sarah nodded, "Why don't you get some more rest and we can talk more when you're feeling better?" she suggested in a gentle voice. "I'm your guardian during your stay in the hospital and for the next little while, so we'll definitely have more time."

Even though he wanted to know how she managed that, Shawn knew that his desire to sleep was much stronger and he slowly felt himself slipping back into oblivion. At least he could rest without worrying.

As Shawn slept, Sarah was relieved that she had confided her little adventure in the one person in her life that she had always been able to trust; this situation was unusual and required unusual help.

* * *

A classroom was still open and all it up, Mr. Feeny observed as he came down the high school hallway with his coat and satchel, just wanting to get to his safe zone for the evening. Since the phone call, his day had been long, filled with phone interviews, and paperwork that had to be done and quickly faxed.

"Jonathan?" Mr. Feeny asked as he approached the doorway and found Jonathan seated at the desk working his way through a stuffed folder of neatly stacked papers. "You're here awfully late today."

Jonathan sighed and put his marking pen on the desk, "George, I'm really worried about Shawn's sudden disappearance and I'm also worried about how Cory handled it," he replied in a worried voice. "Cory punched Stuart Minkus before class this morning and then broke down crying. I was really concerned…"

"Ah, so that's why you took Cory to the nurse's office," Mr. Feeny replied. "I figured something was up when I didn't see any blood on Mister Matthews. Luckily, his mother was able to come and take him home."

Jonathan nodded, "I knew that Shawn was having a difficult time living with the Matthews family, but when Cory mentioned that Shawn hadn't been doing much but resting, I got concerned," he stated in a worried voice. "Not eating and spending a lot of time sleeping is a classic sign of depression; I know it…"

"Jonathan, do you remember that phone call I got earlier today?" Mr. Feeny replied in an unusually serious voice as he walked into the classroom. "I don't yet have all the details, but as of today, Shawn has been assigned a guardian from DCFS and he is currently in the hospital recovering from serious injuries. Now, the caller didn't identify Shawn by name, but the description they gave me matched Shawn's, but I am not allowed to discuss it with anyone but you at the moment. When I got the call, I mentioned that you cared very much about Shawn and that you and I would be willing to visit him in a couple of days…"

Jonathan nodded, a disturbed expression on his face, "Yeah," he replied. "In a couple of days, we'll go visit Shawn together."

Seeing that Jonathan obviously needed time alone to process the information, Mr. Feeny nodded and silently left the classroom. Jonathan was now alone with his thoughts and prayed that he could somehow be of help now.

* * *

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	3. Slow Steps Forward

Shawn opened his eyes and he was very surprised to see that Sarah was still in his room, but she had put her hair into a ponytail and had changed into dress pants, shoes, and a t-shirt with a sweater vest over it. She had also moved his bag on to the bed so that it was within reach of the arm he could still use.

He could also see that there was a bowl of soup and a glass of milk on a portable tray beside his bed…

"Hey sleepyhead," Sarah said, smiling at him as she got up from her chair and walked over to his bed.

Shawn blinked, "Wow, I must have really had a long sleep for you to change and bring me food," he commented in a tired voice as his gaze wandered over to a pile of paperwork on the bedside table.

"You've been asleep for nearly two days, Shawn," Sarah replied in a gentle voice. "I've hardly left the room in the last two days, but you looked so peaceful that I didn't want anyone waking you up."

Shawn suddenly looked panicked, "Two days?!" he asked in a worried voice. "I have to study for finals."

"Well, I could go get your books for you if I knew where you went to school," Sarah replied in a gentle voice as she leaned on the gurney rail. "I haven't told anyone who you are, but I did mention to my father that I was looking after a young man who was in hospital and he offered to come by today…"

Shawn's eyes widened, "I'm not in any condition to entertain strangers," he replied nervously.

Before Sarah could reply, there was a knock at the door, "If you're really that uncomfortable with visitors, I can ask him to come by another time," she stated as she walked over to the door.

Shawn, however, was silent as Sarah opened the door, revealing a concerned looking Mr. Feeny standing in the hallway in his usual school suit, "Mister Feeny?" Shawn asked in a shocked voice.

"Yes," Mr. Feeny replied calmly as he lingered in the doorway. "How are you feeling, Mister Hunter?"

Shawn looked at Sarah, "Mister Feeny is your _dad_?" he asked in a shocked voice. "I didn't know…"

Suddenly, Shawn winced and coughed, "My body kinda hurts," he commented in a tired voice.

Sarah nodded, "Well, with them having to take your spleen out and treat you for bacterial pneumonia, I would certainly expect your body to hurt a little bit," she replied gently. "Not to mention your arm and ribs were broken and you were suffering from dehydration-induced exhaustion and malnutrition."

"Wow," Shawn commented in a shocked voice. "I guess I can't do much but lie here and rest."

Mr. Feeny nodded, "While Sarah goes and gets your books, I'll stay and make sure you behave yourself," he interjected in a gentle voice as he entered the room. "If you have your special book, I'll read a bit to you."

"I haven't read it in two weeks because Cory would never understand my love for poetry," Shawn replied in a nervous voice as he reached into his bag and pulled out a worn book. "It keeps me safe."

Sarah sighed, "John Adams High School, locker 113," Mr. Feeny stated as he walked over to the bed.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Sarah promised in an anxious voice. "Take it easy, all right Shawn?"

Shawn nodded and handed Mr. Feeny the book, "Tell Mister Turner that I'm sorry for being a failure if you happen to run into him," Shawn said as Mr. Feeny opened the book. "I guess that's all I am."

"You are most certainly _not_ a failure," Sarah replied sternly. "I'll make sure to mention _that_ to him."

As Sarah left the room, Shawn looked at Mr. Feeny, silently wondering how their visit would go.

* * *

Topanga scoffed as she took down another poster that Minkus had made; he had made the dorkiest looking 'Missing' posters and posted them all over the school. She quickly tore the poster in half and, as she threw the pieces away, she noticed that the final exam schedule had finally been posted on the wall.

"Topanga?" Cory's voice suddenly filtered into her ear. "Topanga, I need to talk to you about…"

Topanga turned and saw an upset looking Cory standing behind her with a poster in his hand, "I can't believe that Minkus did this," Cory stated in a disgusted voice as he ripped the poster in half. "It's bad enough that he called Shawn a dog, but to make these stupid posters and offer a reward is rude!"

"Would you please keep it down out here, Matthews?" Jonathan asked in a semi-irritated voice as he suddenly came out of the nearby classroom with a large binder in his hand. "What are you _doing_?!"

Cory looked confused, "We're just ripping up stupid posters that Minkus made," he replied truthfully.

"Well, go do it somewhere else," Jonathan replied in a tired voice. "I'm trying to do some work."

Topanga frowned at seeing dark circles underneath Mr. Turner's eyes, "Mister Turner, are you just as worried about Shawn as we are?" she asked in a concerned voice. "You look really, really tired."

Before Jonathan, who had barely slept for the past two days because he kept thinking about how Shawn was faring in the hospital with a strange legal guardian, could reply, he saw a woman come down the hallway and walk over to Shawn's locker. Cory and Topanga turned and watched as she opened it.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" Jonathan asked in a concerned voice as he walked over to Shawn's locker.

Sarah, however, remained silent as she took a few textbooks out of Shawn's locker, "You can't just come in here and steal stuff out of Shawn's locker, lady," Cory stated in a mean voice as he stepped forward.

"As Shawn's current legal guardian, I have the right to get what Shawn needs and take it to him," Sarah stated as she took a pencil case and notebooks from his locker before carefully closing the door.

Jonathan looked surprised, "Where is Shawn, anyway?" Cory piped up. "How come we can't see him?"

"I'm afraid Shawn's current location is confidential," Sarah replied, giving both Cory and Topanga very kind looks. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to find my way out of this school and catch a cab since my car recently died."

Jonathan looked almost amused, "You're going to carry all of Hunter's books outside and catch a _cab_?" he asked in an amused voice. "I wouldn't be a gentleman if I didn't at least offer you a ride on my bike."

"A bike is worse than a cab," Sarah replied in an unamused voice. "Number two; I don't know you."

Suddenly embarrassed that he hadn't introduced himself, Jonathan extended his hand, "Jonathan Turner," he stated in a gentle voice. "I'm Shawn's homeroom teacher; who might you be, Miss?"

"I'm someone who you do not want to get amorous with," Sarah replied coldly. "I am a very busy DCFS worker and I don't have time for pointless flirting. I just came here to get Shawn's books and now I…"

Eric suddenly came around the corner and stopped when he saw the group, "I've been looking for Feeny all morning and his secretary said he had an appointment!" he whined. "I want Feeh-hee-heeny!"

"You have to forgive my brother, Eric," Cory spoke up, seeing Sarah wince. "He's genuinely crazy."

Sarah sighed, "You'll have to forgive me if I must now take my leave," she said in a gentle voice, already feeling guilty for leaving Shawn with her father for as long as she already had. "It was very nice to…"

"You sound exactly like Feeny!" Eric yelled, pointing a finger at Sarah. "You channeled Feeny's essence!"

Sarah swallowed hard and immediately took a step back, "Cory, deal with Eric please," Jonathan interjected, immediately noticing that Sarah looked uncomfortable. "Lawrence, get to class."

While Topanga slipped into the classroom and Cory dragged Eric off, Jonathan turned back to see if Sarah was all right, but found that she had quietly left. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Jonathan massaged his forehead and watched as Cory came back around the corner looking frustrated.

"Eric went off to class," Cory lied, not really knowing or caring where Eric had wandered off to.

Jonathan nodded, "Let's go to class," he replied in a disbelieving tone. "Did you do your paper?"

"I forgot I had a paper due," Cory replied as they walked to the classroom. "My parents have been up late for the last two nights trying to find Shawn's dad and arguing; the fighting makes it hard to sleep."

Jonathan sighed, "You can work on it today before class," he replied. "Go on in; I'll be along soon."

Cory nodded and walked into class. Jonathan sighed and gazed heavenward to offer a silent prayer for Shawn.

* * *

Even though he didn't smoke, Alan spent most of his breaks lingering outside when it was nice weather so that he could think about life; when it was cold, he hid in the break room with a mug of coffee.

As he stood outside the store, he noticed Eric, who was supposed to be in school, tailing a slowly moving taxicab on foot while looking around in an oddly suspicious manner. Alan sighed; it was immensely tempting to go chasing after Eric and see what his eldest was up to, but work was a higher priority.

_No matter. I'll just ask both Cory and Eric what's going on when I get home from work today. _Alan thought, smiling as he stood there watching his son and the cab disappear around the corner.

Alan sighed; ever since Shawn had disappeared, everyone was acting kooky. Cory and Eric had refused to eat as much as they normally ate, Morgan stayed in her room a lot, and Amy alternated between cooking, giving him the silent treatment, or yelling at him over his inability to show any compassion.

What did Amy or anyone else in his family know about compassion? Alan wondered as he walked back into the grocery store to continue his shift. Chet had dumped Shawn on them and had expected Shawn to be practically raised by them; caring was nice, yes, but having another to take care of was too much.

The first thing Alan planned to do after work was try the number that Chet had left them before leaving.

* * *

Unaware that Eric had tracked her on foot and was now hiding in a laundry bin outside the room, Sarah came back into Shawn's hospital room with her arms full of Shawn's things and smiled at seeing that Shawn was sound asleep clutching the poetry book in his right hand, but why was he suddenly alone?

As Sarah got closer to the bed, she saw that the soup and milk remained untouched and that concerned her; had Shawn thought so badly of himself that he refused to help himself get better or what?

The bathroom door suddenly opened as a toilet flushed, "I read a few poems to Shawn and then tried to get him to eat, but he's very set in his ways," Mr. Feeny explained as he walked back over to the bed.

"Shawn, wake up for me," Sarah said in a gentle, yet very firm voice as she set the books down on the bedside table moved over to the bowl of soup. "I've come back with your books and I want to talk."

Shawn groaned softly, but opened his eyes, "I know that you're tired, but I want you to eat something right now so that you stand half a chance of a good physical recovery," Sarah said as she put some soup on to the spoon and offered it to him. "Even if all you can eat is a few bites, I would like you to do it."

Mr. Feeny slowly edged towards the door as Shawn opened his mouth and allowed Sarah to feed him small spoonfuls of soup, "Mister Feeny, thanks for staying with me," Shawn spoke up in a tired voice.

"It certainly wasn't a problem, Shawn," Mr. Feeny replied. "I will, of course, keep this between us."

Grateful that Mr. Feeny wouldn't tell Cory or the Mathews family where he was, Shawn nodded and remained silent as Sarah continued to feed his worn out body. Sarah smiled at Mr. Feeny gratefully.

All was silent as Mr. Feeny left the hospital room and, deeply shocked at the fact that Mr. Feeny would visit the hospital when he wasn't sick, Eric silently stood up in the laundry cart and looked around.

His parents, Cory, Mr. Turner, and anyone else he could tell would be shocked by the news about Mr. Feeny visiting someone in the hospital during school hours, Eric thought as he got out of the cart and walked towards the elevator; maybe his discovery would actually get him some long lost respect.

* * *

Reviews please?


	4. Unexpected Curveballs

"…Please…"

Sarah's eyes snapped open and she was shocked to see Shawn huddled up against the far rail with sweat pouring down his face while his eyes remained closed, "Please, Dad, don't do it," he moaned painfully.

"Shawn, wake up," Sarah said in a worried voice as she got up and hurried around the bed. "Shawn."

Sarah gently placed her hands on Shawn and was about to gently slide him back towards the middle of the bed when he suddenly grabbed hold of her arm with his good hand, "Shawn, I need you to trust me and move back to the middle of the bed right now," Sarah stated in a calm, yet very anxious voice.

Shawn moaned and shuffled back to the middle of the bed, releasing Sarah's hand and not waking up.

Sarah didn't hesitate once she was free; she grabbed pillows from the floor that Shawn had thrown off the bed just hours before when he had suffered a more violent nightmare and she carefully put them against each railing, effectively keeping Shawn in the middle of the bed where he could feel safe.

A quick glance at the clock told Sarah that it was five a.m.; three hours before Shawn was supposed to take his English final, but he was clearly in no condition to take such an important test so early in the morning and it would be better if it was later in the day. Sarah sighed and walked over to the phone.

Silently praying that her father was up, Sarah dialed his number to postpone Shawn's English exam.

* * *

"I haven't seen Shawn in four days and whenever I ask Dad where he is, he just tells me to mind my own business," Cory whined to Eric as he sat at the table waiting for his mother to come down from helping Morgan get ready for school. "I asked Mister Feeny what happened to Shawn and he told me to hush."

Eric nodded, purposely stuffing his mouth with another piece of toast from the pile on his plate; he knew that Shawn was most likely still in the hospital being guarded by Feeny, although he didn't know why anyone would bother. To him, Shawn wasn't someone to waste time fussing over excessively.

"Alan, I don't know what good it will do," Eric and Cory suddenly heard their mother say in a distressed voice as they heard footsteps on the stairs. "Chet Hunter didn't leave a phone number or address…"

There was a thump, "…I don't know why you're so worried about Shawn anyway, Amy," Cory heard his father say in an aggravated voice. "We've got three kids to worry about and why worry about him?"

"Do you wanna know why I worry about Shawn, Dad?" Cory asked as his father came down the stairs dressed in dress shoes, slacks, and a dress shirt and tie. "I worry about Shawn because he's my friend."

Alan frowned, "Don't talk back to me, Cory," he replied sternly. "I think Shawn is a bad influence…"

"Right, and you and Mom arguing about everything isn't a bad influence?" Cory snapped as he moved closer to his father, knowing full well he was pushing his luck. "Why don't you set a good example?"

Alan's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything, "You and Mom arguing about Shawn is a distraction and keeps me from studying for my final exams," Cory replied angrily. "I don't like hearing it…"

"Maybe you shouldn't have anything to do with Shawn at all anymore, Cory," Alan said in an unusually angry tone as Amy and Morgan came down the stairs. "If he's distracting you from studying…"

Cory scoffed, "You can't choose my friends!" he shouted angrily. "I can be friends with whoever…"

"If you're friends with Shawn, Cory; you'll end up just like him," Alan snapped. "Trailer trash!"

Amy gaped at Alan, "Alan, stop," she said, quickly covering Morgan's ears. "This has gone too far."

"It's better than ending up like you!" Cory yelled angrily. "I WANT TO BE BETTER THAN YOU!"

Something snapped in Alan and before he could think, he promptly slapped Cory hard across the face three times, "You'll do what I tell you," Alan said in a shaky voice, unable to believe what he had just done to his youngest son out of anger. "If I catch you with Shawn again, I promise that I'll…"

"DO WHATEVER YOU WANT!" Cory shouted as tears filled his eyes. "You're no better than Chet!"

Amy frowned as tears streamed down Cory's face, "Alan, Cory, I think this has gotten out of hand," she said, quickly releasing Morgan and putting herself between the two. "Why don't we just sit down?"

"I'm gonna be late for school," Cory replied tearfully as he backed away and quickly hurried upstairs.

Morgan gaped at her parents and hurried upstairs, not wanting to be near them, but Eric remained at the table deep in shock about what had just happened; their father had actually raised a hand in anger.

"Alan, I think you'd better go to work now," Amy replied in a shocked voice. "We'll talk about this later."

Before Alan could react, Amy hurried upstairs to check on Cory and Morgan. Alan glared at Eric for a moment before grabbing his keys off the wall and storming into the living room to go to the car.

Eric sighed and remained silent for a moment before gazing over at Feeny's yard, which was mysteriously empty. A moment later, Cory came into view with a bag slung over one shoulder and his school backpack slung over the other. To Eric, it looked like Cory was preparing to run away.

Tears unexpectedly came to Eric's eyes and he looked at his plate; why was all this happening now?

* * *

_Why isn't my alarm clock going off? It's time for school. _Shawn thought as he slowly came to awareness.

He tried to stretch out his hand so that he could touch his clock, but it hit something soft instead, causing him to force his eyes open. Confusion washed over him when he saw that there were large, very soft pillows on either side of his body and that he was in a hospital bed covered by very large blankets.

_I'm in the hospital. _Shawn suddenly remembered as he looked around and realized that he was alone.

"Sarah?" Shawn asked anxiously, suddenly wondering if Sarah had left him to recover alone. "SARAH?!"

Just as Shawn was about to start crying, Sarah came out of the bathroom in jeans, dress shoes, and a lilac turtleneck sweater with her hair in a curly braid down her back, "Good morning, Shawn," she said in a concerned voice as she walked over to the bed. "You had a rough night, so I put pillows around you."

"What time is it?" Shawn asked anxiously. "Where are my books? I've got my English final at eight."

Sarah sighed, "You had some really bad nightmares last night and earlier this morning," she replied in a firm voice. "After I put the pillows around you, I phoned the school and asked Mister Feeny if there was any way you could take your exam this afternoon. He said he'll send someone here after school."

Before Shawn, who was still slightly groggy and very confused as to why he was being treated so well by a total stranger, could reply, the door opened, "Oh, good morning," a nurse with red hair and pink scrubs said as she came into the room carrying a breakfast tray. "How is your son doing this morning?"

_The nurse thinks I'm Sarah's son? _Shawn thought, keeping his astonishment quiet as the nurse cleared off the portable table, put the tray on it, and wheeled the tray over to his bed. _We don't look alike at all._

"Shawn's still waking up, so I don't know quite yet," Sarah replied gently. "Thank you for asking."

The nurse nodded and swiftly left the room, "Why does that nurse think you're my mom?" Shawn asked in a nervous voice as he looked up at Sarah. "I've never seen someone so willingly care about me…"

"Well, the police haven't had any luck in finding either of your parents and I've been your legal guardian ever since you were admitted to the hospital," Sarah explained gently. "Since I've barely left your hospital room for the last few days, I guess the hospital staff assumes that I'm your mother."

Shawn blinked and sighed, "That's not so bad, I guess," he replied groggily. "How do you feel about that? Do you find it weird that hospital staff think you're my mom even though I'm just a stranger?"

"Not really," Sarah said in a gentle voice. "It's not offensive; I feel happy serving as a mother figure."

Shawn frowned, "How come someone as nice as you isn't married with a bucketful of kids?" he asked, deeply wondering why Sarah didn't really have a life outside of her work. "It surprises me a little."

"Well Shawn, life has different things in store for different people," Sarah replied softly. "Now…"

Shawn scoffed, "Okay, so you're my legal guardian, but I don't get to know a lot about you?" he asked in as frustrated a voice as he could muster with his low energy level. "That seems a little hypocritical."

"You're right," Sarah replied, secretly pleased to see Shawn's assertiveness. "It is hypocritical of me to know so much about you and then keep you from knowing about me. What would you like to know?"

Shawn was quiet for a moment and then sighed, "Why don't you have a husband and kids?" he repeated in a softer tone, deeply confused by why she didn't. "You seem really nice and really, really gentle."

"I was sick when I was younger and it damaged my chances of being able to have children naturally," Sarah replied as she sat in the chair beside the hospital bed. "I had the same kind of cancer that my mother eventually passed away from and when I survived, I decided to dedicate my life to helping others however I was able to. My father inspired me to get an education so that I could do that."

Shawn nodded, "I guess education is pretty important, huh?" he asked tiredly. "I've always slacked in school because nobody ever really cared enough to ask me to try my best. I guess that's a bit dumb…"

"Not really," Sarah replied gently. "If nobody encouraged you, why would you want to try to do well?"

Shawn's stomach suddenly growled and he promptly let out an embarrassed chuckle, "I think we should stop talking for now and you should have some breakfast if you're feeling up to it," Sarah said as she looked at the breakfast tray. "There's oatmeal, yogurt, apple juice, and toast. What would you like?"

"Well, since I'm going to have to eat anyway, I'll try a little of the oatmeal," Shawn replied in a tired voice as he looked at the food. "I might make a mess, so would you please grab me a napkin?"

Sarah smiled, "I can help you eat if you'd prefer not to make a mess," she replied gently. "I don't mind."

"That would be great," Shawn replied nervously. "Just don't tell anyone you had to feed me, okay?"

Sarah nodded and took the bowl of oatmeal off the tray, "Scout's honor," she replied. "Now, open wide and eat only what you can handle, okay? After breakfast, I'll help you do some last-minute studying."

"Okay," Shawn replied as he was offered a spoonful; it was nice to know that someone cared about him.

* * *

_It's a relief that the school is unlocked even though school doesn't start for almost another hour. _Cory thought as he slipped into the locker room and immediately made a beeline for a mirror. His father's hand had left bruises on his face that were causing slight swelling and discomfort; he looked awful.

More tears welled up in Cory's eyes as he remembered the fight that morning; how could have his father hit him in anger? He had never felt so alone; he didn't even have Shawn to talk to now.

"…Hey Griff, how come we gotta come in and play in the gym before school?" Cory suddenly heard Joey say in a whiny tone. "It's bad enough that we have to endure physical education every single day…"

Cory froze and immediately ducked into the nearest stall so to hide his injuries, "Gentlemen, I believe in workouts because it makes our bodies healthy," he heard Griff say as footsteps passed by the cubicle. "If our bodies are healthy and working properly, our minds will be able to better think up new schemes."

"I have to contemplate this," Cory heard Frankie say in an uncertain voice. "It sounds so complicated…"

As the footsteps moved away from the cubicle, Cory let out a sigh of relief and quickly let himself out of the small cubicle. He hurried back over to the mirror and continued to examine the bruises on his face.

"I can't get through school today," Cory whispered as he touched his face and winced. "I can't…"

* * *

"Lawrence, it's really not necessary to sit in here before the exam starts," Jonathan said as he sat at his desk reading a novel to pass the time before the bell rang. "There's not much else you can study."

Topanga shrugged, but before she could reply, Mr. Feeny came into the classroom and walked right over to the desk, "Jonathan, I was wondering if you got my message?" he asked in a very quiet voice.

"Yeah," Jonathan replied softly. "George, are you sure that this woman knows what's best for Shawn?"

Mr. Feeny sighed, "I trust Sarah with my life and also with Mister Hunter's," he replied softly. "I also told her that you'd be more than willing to visit Shawn after school today and proctor his English exam."

"Of course I'll do that, George," Jonathan replied softly. "I'd like to meet this Sarah and talk to her."

Mr. Feeny raised an eyebrow, "I'm sure you'll both have plenty to say to each other, but she'll be more focused on helping Mister Hunter," he replied in an amused voice. "Remember, there's a fine line…"

Jonathan nodded and scoffed as Mr. Feeny left the room. His scoff faded, however, as Cory entered the room and silently sat at his desk without speaking to him or Topanga. Why was Cory's face bruised?

* * *

"…Yes, yes I understand," Sarah said into the phone as she watched Shawn read his textbook in his hospital bed out of the corner of her eye. "I'll discuss it with Shawn and I'll get back to you. Bye."

Shawn looked up from his textbook as Sarah hung up the phone, "Talk to me about what?" he asked.

"Shawn, I was just checking in with my colleagues at DCFS and they say that your mother is believed to have left the country," Sarah replied as she walked back over to the bed. "On top of that, nobody has located your father as of yet and the judge affiliated with Child Services has officially signed a document that terminates all the rights that your parents have to you. DCFS wants you and I to discuss the future."

Shawn nodded, but said nothing, "Once you're released from the hospital, you're more than welcome to stay with me for as long as you want to," Sarah said as she sat at Shawn's bedside. "I may be your legal guardian, but I don't expect you to see me as your mother; I just want you to feel like you belong and to feel safe and happy for once."

"I can have time to think about this, right?" Shawn asked nervously, heavily tempted by Sarah's offer.

Sarah nodded and the door suddenly opened, "Hey Shawn, how are you feeling?" Jonathan asked as he came into the room with his motorcycle helmet in one hand and a thick folder in the other. "Are you ready for the exam?."

"Yeah, Sarah's been helping me study," Shawn replied uncertainly. "Sarah, this is Mister Turner, my teacher."

Sarah stood up and walked over to Jonathan, "Nice to meet you," she replied in a professional voice before turning her attention back to Shawn. "Shawn, I'm going to be out in the hallway while you write your English exam, all right?"

"Okay," Shawn replied nervously, deeply terrified of being left alone forever. "You'll be right out in the hall the entire time?"

Sarah nodded and gave Shawn a reassuring smile, "Just try your best," she replied gently. "Focus on the exam, okay?"

"C-Could you possibly sit by the phone while I take the test?" Shawn stammered, feeling a panic attack coming on. "P-Please?"

Deeply concerned by how scared Shawn was to be left alone, Jonathan nodded to Sarah and she quietly took a seat by the door and watched as he took the exam over to Shawn and quietly explained it.

Jonathan, meanwhile, was still partially thinking about the bruises on Cory's face and if Cory's parents had tried to forcefully convince Cory to stay away from Shawn for good.

* * *

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